Liquid cooler



Feb. 6, 1940. c, D| FELICE 2,189,281

LIQUID COOLER Filed June 3, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. C fll'Fe/lce ATTORNEY.

c. Dl FELICE Feb. 6, 1940.

QUID COOLER Filed June 3, 1

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR,

Cfi/Fefi'ce Z ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 6,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2.1mm mourn coo'ma- Crllpino Di Felice, Ardmore, Application a... a, 1m, sfl'lfl a. 211,691 s cum. (c1. ez-m) My invention relates to liquidcoolers and more particularly to coolers used in conjunction with dispensing apparatus.

Heretofore, it has been customary to cool liquids, particularly beverages, by passing the liquid to be cooled through coils-of metal tubing immersed in water contained in a cooler box and kept at a suitably low temperature by refrigeration. These coils generally have consisted of about fifty feet of three-eighths inch tubing extending from the container to a dispensing bar. The quantity of liquid contained in a cooling tube of this size is approximately equal to the contents of iflve eight ounce glasses. When certain beverages are permitted to remain in this type of coil over night, the flavor is dele-v teriously affected, andthe first five glasses are therefore unfit to be dispensed and must be wasted. .Furthermoref the heat transfer relationship between the cooling water in the box surrounding the coils and the liquid to be cooled is constant so that the temperature through which the liquid is cooled is an inverse function of its rate of flow and is not underthe control of the dispenser.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a liquid cooler in which these defects are overcome.

Another object of my invention is to provide a liquid cooler in which the volume of liquid remaining in the cooling element is greatLv' reduced. I

A further object of my invention is to produce a liquid cooler in which the degree of cooling will be under the control of the dispenser.

Still another-object of my invention is to provide a cooling element for immersion in a cooling medium which has a relatively low ratio of crosssectional area to cross-sectional periphery.

Still a further object of my invention is to provide an immersion cooling element with means for controlling the ratio of cross-sectional area to cross-sectional periphery.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a malt-beverage cooling unit wherein the interior of the cooling unit through which the malt beverage passes may be easily and rapidly cleaned.

with these and other objects in view, which will become apparent as the description proceeds, my invention embodies a cooling element immersed in a cooling medium and connecting the liquid container with the dispensing bar, consisting of a single flat, hollow metal unit provided with means for changing the degree of flatness of the unitand therefore the volume of liquid contained in said element in order to change the temperature.

Anembodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: i 5

Flg. 1 is a perspective phantom view of th liquid cooler of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view, partly in section, of the mechanism for changing the thickness of the cooling element.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modification of my invention wherein the cooling unit may be rapidly disassembled and cleaned.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 15 H of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional 5-4 of Flg. 5.

Referring now to Fig. 1, I show a cabinet l0 containing a cooler box ll containing water I! go cooled by refrigerating coils l3 lining box II and connected to the customary refrigerating mecha-f nism (not illustrated), Two cooling elements, each of which is generally designated as A, are connected at their inlet ends by piping It to a 25 liquid container (not illustrated) and at their outlet ends to dispensing faucets l8.

A rotary agitator l5, immersed in the liquid i2,

view taken on the line is constantly rotated in order to change the liquid in contact with the coolingunit A.

element comprises two copper or copper coated metal sheets 2. and 22 spaced about 3nd of an inch apart and the edges of the sheets are joined together to form a closed flat tubing. Thus the 35 heat exchanges between the beverage within the cooling unit A and the cooled water is relatively large, therefore, the heat dissipation from the beverage can be large. Since the bar or liquid flowing through the cooling unit A has a tend- 40 ency to widen in its center, I provide longitudinal stiffening bars 24 and 25, respectively on the flat surfaces 20, 22. The lower bar" is suitably mounted upon a plurality of supports 28, 28 which rest upon the bottom of the tank or cooler 45 box ll. I

Because of the large contact area between the cold water I! and the copper cooling unit A the relatively low temperature fit to consume as a beverage.

Under certain conditions it may be advisable to have the beverage flow at a higher tempera-1 ture, and the temperature can be regulated by wideningor narrowin spaces between the flat members 23 and 22 of the cooling unit. -I thereso that the pressure rods do not slipout of con- Hence, by removing the bolts 66 the, plate 62 trol.

As a modification of my inventionl'may use a thermostatic control to oscillate the cam shaft in order to keep the temperature of the beverage uniform.

As another modification of my invention I show a relatively flat cooling unit in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 wherein a copper unit, generally designated as B, and constructed on the same principle as cooler unit A may be rapidly and easily cleaned on its insides by means of a brush (not shown).

As like references characters refer to elements similarly constructed the front of cooling box II has a faucet l3 through which the beverage may be dispensed.

The cooling unit B has thin flat copperplates 52, 53 which have their side and rear edges joined together to form a beverage chamber. The thin -plates 52, 53 are spaced apart approximately of an inch and the plates are of approximately the same thickness. The plates 52, 53 pass through the front panel and are flanged outwardly as at 54, 55, respectively, the ends of the flanges are joined together to form a continuous flange. A rubber washer or other compressiblegasket 56 is placed on the rear side of the flange and another rubber gasket 51 is placed on the front of the flange. An interme-' diate metallic washer 58 having an opening 59 in alignment with the cooling unit B chamber is placed adjacent and in contact with the .gasket 51. Another rubber gasket 60 is placed adjacent the gasket 60 and then a faucet holding plate 62 is placed against the gasket 60. A plurality of suitably tapped bars 64 mounted inside the panel receive holding bolts 66. The bolts 66 hold the plate 62 and the respective washer and gaskets- 51, 58; 60 to the continuous flange of the cooler unitB may be removed and the inside of the unit cooler .13- may be cleaned by pushing a'cleaning brush (not shown) inside the chamber of the cooler.

It shallbe particularly observed that I provide a liquid tight joint between the flange of the cooler and the faucet holding plate 62 and when' I remove the holding plate 62 the flat head screws 63 holds the washer and gaskets 53, 51, 56, the flanges 54, and the holding bar 64 together,

Fig. 5. Thus, only one gasket and the faucet plate 62 are removed for cleaning purposes.

aiaaaa 1 As an adaptation of the disclosure which I have made of my invention the number of cooling unit supporting members .may be increased and the number of pressure rods 33, 40 maybe increased.

and the stiflening rod 24 may be broken into short units.

Although I have stated that the metallic beverage cooling unit is of flat plate it is within the scope of my invention to utilize a circular metallic pipe by flattening it to the respective size disclosed, to wit, a flat wide beverage conductor.

Although my invention has been described in considerable detail. such description is intended as illustrative rather' than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

I claim as my invention:

1..In a malt beverage cooling unit, a relatively thin, wide and long cooler unit through which a liquid may flow to be cooled, a cooling cabinet, an outwardly extending flange on said cooler unit located in the front of said unit, said flange extending outside the front of said cabinet, a faucet, and a detachable faucet holding plate connected to said flange.

2. In a beverage cooling unit, a metallic beverage unit through which the beverage passes tobe cooled, a chamber adapted to retain a cooling liquid, said unit located within said chamber whereby the unit is covered by the cooling liquid, said beverage unit having a large peripheral surface and a relatively small cross-sectional area, and means to alter the cross-sectional area of said beverage unit.

3.;My invention as set forth in claim -2 including means to detachably connect one endof said unit whereby the interior may be cleaned.

4. A beverage cooling unit comprising a refrigerating cabinet having a chamber therein, a cooling medium within said cabinet, means within said cabinet to agitate said cooling medium, a metallic beverage unit through which a liquid may flow to be cooled located within the cabinet, said metallic beverage unit located within the refrigerating medium, said beverage unit having an outlet and inlet passageway for the egress andingress of beverage, said beverage unit having a relatively long, wide surface and a small thickness whereby its cross-sectional area is small, means to vary the cross-sectional area of the beverage unit, and means on the outside of the cabinet to control the means for. varying-the crossa sectional area of the unit.

5. In a beverage refrigerating unit, the combination of a fluid container, said container comprising a pair of substantially parallel thin cop-' per plates-having their adjoining edges joined. 

